The Interrogation Glove
by Janiqua
Summary: A group of dangerous Time Agents pay Jack a visit and unveil his memories of The Year That Never Was to the rest of Torchwood. Spoilers for Last of the Time Lords. Janto. Jack/Ianto.


**Author's Note: **It feels like everyone else has had a go, so I'm going to write one too. Mind you, I've got to start school in a couple of days and I'm still settling into my new apartment, so this isn't going to be as in-depth as some of my other stories. Just a little bit of fun. The whole scenario has been nagging me for about a week and hopefully I'll be able to get it out of my head if I write it down.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Torchwood or Doctor Who. I don't even live in Britain, so how could I?

**Spoilers: **Definitely for Sound of Drums and Last of the Time Lords, though hopefully that won't be a problem since we've already seen Stolen Earth and Journey's End. As far as Torchwood is concerned, this is set sometime between Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang and Reset.

**Warning: **Jack and Ianto all the way!

**Summary: **A group of dangerous Time Agents pay Jack a visit and unveil his memories of The Year That Never Was to the rest of Torchwood.

**Torchwood**

When the strangers walked into the Tourist Information Centre, Ianto barely looked up from his computer screen. Ever since Jack had resurfaced, Ianto had fallen behind in his archival work and while most of the team wouldn't care, if they even noticed, Gwen would get on his case the moment she found out. She had taken her role as leader quite seriously during Jack's absence and while Ianto had the highest regard for her, the last thing he needed was a lecture.

"Excuse me, young man. Perhaps you can help me. I'm looking for a Jack Harkness."

So much for archival work. Suppressing a sigh, Ianto glanced up and observed a tall, broad shouldered man with a weathered face and thick white hair dressed in a black leather trench coat. He would have been intimidating if Ianto hadn't been used to fighting aliens… and if he hadn't been diverted by the mental image of Jack's expression should he ever happen to waltz into the hub wearing a leather trench coat of his own.

Behind the would-be intimidator, there were five other strangers wearing a variety of guises that had Ianto wondering if he had missed ads for a local historical convention, but no, he would have definitely seen something. There was a cowboy from the wild west, a confederate soldier from the States' civil war, a Japanese woman dressed in a kimono, and a rugged man in glasses wearing a brown leather jacket. The fifth stranger stood behind them all and since Ianto couldn't get a good glimpse of him, he focused back on the leader. "I'm afraid I don't know anyone by that name."

He suddenly had four guns aimed at his head. Ianto froze as the would-be intimidator quickly became intimidating. His expression didn't change as he glanced around at his hostile thugs, but when he looked back at Ianto there was a sadistic glint in his eyes that stirred up memories of cannibals. "Perhaps I should introduce myself. I am General Jonas Hahn and Jack is one of my subordinates. You will take me to him now."

"I'd do as he says, Eye Candy."

Ianto's throat tightened as the final member of Hahn's posse stepped out from behind the four thugs. Wearing the same Napoleonic uniform, Captain John Hart hadn't changed at all since his last visit… that was aside from the despondency presently emanating out of him. "Jack's more qualified to deal with the Time Agency than you are and don't even think about pressing some hidden switch to lock down the place. This lot will just take you back to the fifty-first century as compensation and believe me you don't want that."

"But I think I do," said the rugged man with the glasses and the brown leather jacket. "At the risk of sounding like a child, can I keep him?" Ianto felt his blood run cold as Hahn smirked, leaning over the desk.

"Take us to Jack or I will happily give you to James Hall."

**Torchwood**

"I thought you said the Time Agency disbanded," Jack complained as he stepped out of the boardroom and leaned against the railing that overlooked the rest of the hub. He didn't appear daunted or even surprised by the fact security had been breached, but then again that was typical Jack.

Ianto stood next to James Hall; his wrists were cuffed behind his back and the Time Agent was gripping his arm possessively. Toshiko sat at her workstation, tense and wary of the strange Japanese woman holding her at gunpoint. Owen and Gwen, who had been on their way up from the autopsy room, stopped short and held their hands up while the cowboy and confederate soldier approached them with their guns at the ready. Meanwhile, Jonas Hahn calmly looked up at Jack with John Hart grimacing behind him.

"It is true," Hahn admitted somewhat shamefully. "We experienced a disastrous upheaval that resulted in our unfortunate termination, but the empire is willing to renew the Agency provided we apprehend the menace responsible. You see, we managed to salvage a portion of our files and according to a bio-scan, we have reason to believe the troublemaker hails from the same planet as the bastard responsible for devastating the Weapon Factories of Villengard."

A smile flickered across Jack's face. "You serious? Let me guess. The bio-scan indicated a binary vascular system."

"Two hearts," Owen muttered.

"Indeed," Hahn said, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "The empire wishes us to investigate the possibility of a connection. If the Agency and the Factories were devastated by the same faction, if they are at all related, we might very well be dealing with a new enemy who has been attacking us strategically from the shadows. It could mean war, Jack. Now I'm willing to make you an offer. You might be a disgraced criminal, but considering the number of times you've managed to con my Agents, you certainly possess the aptitude for an investigation of such importance. Join us and when the Agency is reinstated I will see to it personally that the memories you've been searching for, the two years you lost, are returned to you."

Jack actually had the audacity to laugh. He turned abruptly and made his way down the stairs. Ianto glanced over at Owen who was fidgeting in frustration. Gwen glanced nervously at Tosh, who remained tense but stoic. The entire situation was out of their control and Ianto wanted to blame John Hart for betraying them. Jack, however, didn't give his old partner a second glance. Instead he approached Hahn, giving the general his complete and utter attention along with a cold, distrustful, loathing glare. "I've put those memories behind me. I don't want them anymore. They haven't motivated me, they haven't even crossed my mind, in longer than you can possibly imagine. This is where I belong now and I will never join you."

Hahn slapped the back of his hand across Jack's face. It was only then that Ianto noticed the black leather glove he wore; it had strips of metal embedded into the material. The strips converged at the center of Hahn's palm, where a small circular device blinked with a purplish light. It gave Hahn's attack additional force that sent Jack careening over a nearby desk. Gwen attempted running to his aid, but the cowboy caught her and pressed his gun against her neck.

"John did warn me you were going to prove uncooperative," Hahn said as Jack slowly righted himself, wiping blood from his lip. "I was loath to believe him, but it seems you really have domesticated yourself. You should know better, Jack. You belong to the Time Agency either as its operative or its prisoner. And if you refuse to reason with me, I shall have you taken by force. I did not come all this way for nothing."

"I'm sorry, Jack," John said feebly. "I didn't have a choice. I had to tell him."

"Forget it," Jack said without taking his eyes off Hahn. "I'm not going to wage war against anything with two hearts. I'm not that stupid."

"You have information on our enemy," Hahn astutely observed. "How did you know about the binary vascular system? You've encountered him before, haven't you? You know who he is. You're too valuable to leave behind, Jack. Accept it. You're mine and you will do as I say or I will do with you as I please."

Jack shook his head. "Go to hell."

"Big mistake," Hahn whispered. He pushed back his sleeve and pressed a button on his Time Agent wrist strap, vanishing into thin air. Ianto gasped as Jack whirled around, but the captain wasn't quick enough. Hahn reappeared directly behind him and grabbed the back of his head with that strange leather glove. Jack screamed as the purplish light brightened, enveloping Hahn's entire hand. He forced Jack to his knees, speaking cruelly. "No one has mastered the vortex manipulator as I have, you know that. How did you expect to escape someone who teleports as proficiently as I do? And now, Captain Jack, I think it's time to remind you of your miserable place."

"What the fuck are you doing to him?" Gwen demanded.

"Let him go!" Ianto pleaded. Owen cursed spectacularly while Tosh shook her head, covering her mouth.

"It's an interrogation glove," John said, backing away from General Hahn. "It unveils memories, exposing them to large audiences."

"Of course it also serves as a disciplinary device," Hahn added. "Imagine being forced to relive your worst memories. I'll have the information I need out of you, Jack, but first let's see if I can't cripple you." Jack already looked debilitated; he was under obvious strain, he was shaking, his eyes were clenched shut, but it wasn't enough for Hahn. "So many memories… you've been busy, haven't you? I can feel anomalies all around you… Forget the investigation, Jack, I'm going to have to bring you in for study. Ah, here we go. Excruciating memories, still fresh, still painful, still trying to be buried. Memories you haven't yet come to terms with, memories that just might break your heart."

There was a flash of purple light and suddenly the hub disappeared, replaced by a well lit, enormous room with a long table stretching down the center and a staircase at the end leading up to a platform. A white tent had been erected in the corner, an ancient man sat in a wheelchair, a woman in a slinky red dress stood nearby, several guards kept watch, two black maids held trays with refreshments, and in the air hovered half a dozen silvery spheres each about the size of a football or bowling ball.

"It's a hologram," Tosh whispered as the doors opposite the platform slid open, revealing a man everyone on the Torchwood team immediately recognized. Harold Saxon, the former prime minister responsible for President Winters' assassination. Which meant the woman in the slinky dress was his wife, Lucy. She had been hard to identify with her hair down, but there was no longer any mistaking her. After the president's death, Lucy had killed her husband and now resided in a high security mental institution… Why the hell did Jack have memories of Harold and Lucy Saxon?

"You bastard," Jack cursed, gritting his teeth in obvious pain. Hahn smiled.

"Happy day," Saxon exclaimed, prancing into the room like a child on Christmas. Behind him, two armed guards dragged in a brown haired man covered from head to toe in soot. Jack.

"Oh my god," Gwen said, gasping. Ianto felt sick, Tosh paled, Owen's face darkened, and even John looked repulsed. The guards forced Jack onto a chair next to the old man in the wheelchair. As Saxon snogged his wife, Jack glanced sideways at the elder, who looked back at him trembling.

"I'm so, so sorry, Jack," he whispered. The captain's face fell and Saxon immediately pushed away from Lucy to saunter over to him. As far as Ianto was concerned, Harold Saxon was just as dangerous as Jonas Hahn. Somehow he had seduced the entire country without anyone realizing what a monster he was and now he had the same evil glint in his eyes as he hopped onto the table and gazed down at Jack.

"I must apologize, captain," he said solemnly, his expression almost sincere. "I've been neglecting you. It's no secret my preferences lie with the Doctor, but that's hardly an excuse. Tish and Francine have been receiving far more attention as of late and they don't even rank among the Doctor's companions. I doubt they could so much as guess the name of the Doctor's spaceship. Imagine. They receive more attention than you and they don't even qualify. I've been neglecting you, Jack, and it's positively unacceptable. Do forgive me."

"Forgive you?" Jack scoffed. "And here I thought you'd forgotten me. I meant to send a thank-you card, but since that would have defeated the purpose I refrained." Ianto's heart lightened at Jack's spirit, but if this was a painful memory he had a feeling it would get worse very soon. Too soon. Especially when Saxon smirked.

"Forget a pretty face like yours? Never!"

"What am I doing here, Saxon?" Jack asked with a resigned sigh, leaning back in his chair. If at all possible, the prime minister's already vivacious face lit up even more in excitement bordering on jubilation.

"I've got a present for you!"

"Send it back. I'm not interested."

"Not interested?" Owen whistled. "That's a first." Ianto couldn't help but agree. Jack never said no to presents, even from aliens and psychopaths since it was his job to sort out all potential threats. What was going on? Why was Jack in Saxon's possession? When had all this taken place? And what about the Doctor Saxon mentioned? Was it the same Doctor Jack cared so much about?

"You've got to be somewhat interested, Jack. Don't lie to me," Saxon said. "Should be arriving any minute now. While we wait, do you mind if I ask you a question?" Jack stared at him unresponsively but Ianto recognized the look on his face; if Jack could, he would have broken Saxon's neck. Apparently, death glares resembled consent to the prime minister and he carried on with his inquiry. "What's it feel like? Being responsible for the destruction of your own home?"

Ianto glanced at the real Jack kneeling in front of General Hahn. He was having difficulty breathing, trying not to panic. Hahn, on the other hand, was watching Saxon in rapt fascination.

"Stop it," the old man in the wheel chair growled on Jack's behalf.

"No, Doctor," Saxon replied so sternly that Jack actually flinched, averting his gaze in a manner quite unlike the leader of Torchwood Three. Ianto had never seen him look so helpless. "You know it's true, captain. The Doctor would never have found me if he hadn't been running from you. I'm here now because you chased the Doctor to the end of the universe. It's all on your hands. How does that make you feel?"

"It's not his fault," the Doctor insisted. "Leave him alone. I'm the only one to blame."

Jack snapped his head around. "Oh, I don't think so, Doctor. We're too old to be playing 'What-if' or 'If-only.' It's not going to change anything. Fact is you and I stood our ground against an army of Daleks while Saxon over there ran like a damn coward." Jack sneered up at the prime minister as defiantly as ever. "You turned yourself into a human to escape the Time War. You're the only one here guilty of anything. You think you're a Time Lord? You're a humiliation."

Thin, retractable knives slid sharply out of the floating spheres. Jack caught sight of them in alarm, but Saxon held up a hand and the spheres pulled back. Meanwhile, the Time Agents watching the hologram glanced around at each other in dismay. Ianto heard them asking about the Daleks, the Time War, and the possibility of surviving Time Lords, but he paid them no mind. Saxon had jumped off the table right as the doors to the room slid open.

"Oh look, Jack, your present has arrived!" Saxon ran forward in delight as a group of soldiers escorting four prisoners made their way inside.

"What the hell?" Gwen asked, recognizing herself among the prisoners. It was the entire team. Gwen, Ianto, Tosh, and Owen. Their wrists were cuffed behind their backs and their mouths were duct taped shut. The soldiers forced them around the table until they were five meters away from Jack and then they were pushed to their knees.

"I've got no memory of this," Owen said and Ianto considered whether or not Jack would have had them retconned. If the memory was terrible enough… But when? When did all this happen? Jack had disappeared after the fight against Abaddon. By the time he resurfaced, Lucy had already murdered Saxon. Jack said he had found his Doctor. Was this why he had disappeared? Had he left because of Saxon?

"You brought me Torchwood?" Jack asked, sitting up straight in his chair. Saxon ambled around the prisoners, grabbing each of their jaws, inspecting each of their faces in turn, most likely to ensure they were who they were supposed to be. He lingered next to Gwen, stroking her hair, before looking back at Jack with a lopsided grin.

"Do you like it?"

"You shouldn't have," Jack replied monotonously. "Really, it's too much."

"But that's just it, I wanted to spoil you," Saxon said. "I told myself, 'Jack's been through such physical trauma ever since I got a hold of him. He deserves respite. Why not give him a few days to sit back, relax, and live a little?' Won't that make for a pleasant change? You can watch them die instead, Jack. In your place, one by one, very slowly. How's that sound? Good? I think it's good. And I'll watch with you, just to make up for my neglectfulness."

"Just listen to him," Jonas Hahn said enraptured. "He's an artist, truly inspired."

"He's mad," Tosh whimpered.

Meanwhile, the holographic image of Jack glanced over his team dispassionately. They were all staring at him expectantly, fearfully, even Owen, but Jack merely rolled his eyes, looking back at Saxon. "Is this the part where I'm supposed to beg for their lives? Come on, really. It's Torchwood, Saxon. They're trained professionals and if they allowed themselves to get captured when you haven't even managed to track down Martha, they deserve what's coming to them."

The holographic image of Gwen started shaking while Owen's expression darkened. He attempted to get up, but one of the floating spheres dropped towards him and he fell back cringing. Saxon, who had been admiring Tosh, glanced back at Jack with a frown. "Have a heart, captain. They were only captured trying to sneak onboard the _Valiant_. They were trying to rescue you."

"Rescue me?" Jack shook his head disdainfully. "Do you know anything about Torchwood, Saxon? I'd just be trading one prison for another. Read the Foundation Charter of 1879. I'm one of the enemies. Hell, the Doctor's their greatest enemy. The only reason they didn't lock me in a cell was because I made the perfect tool. To hell with them. At least here I'm with someone who actually knows me and who I actually care about. I don't have to hide my allegiances. So stop toying with me. Stop trying to get me to squirm. It's utterly ridiculous and you should be embarrassed."

"He's bluffing," Captain John observed, much to Ianto's relief. It was hard to tell with Jack; the man could be horrifically convincing. "Come on, any fool can see through that."

"Can Saxon?" Owen asked, for the prime minister was staring at Jack with the same expression scholars wore when attempting to translate indecipherable languages.

"More to the point, can we?" Gwen asked. The holographic images of the four teammates were all staring at Jack as if they'd never seen him before. They all looked devastated and Jack didn't seem to care.

"Very well," Saxon said, walking over to Jack. "Get up."

The floating spheres all swooped towards Jack, who glanced at the Doctor nervously before obeying. Saxon reached out a hand to one of the guards, who promptly relinquished a revolver and not just any revolver, but Jack's revolver. He grabbed Jack's arm and marched him towards the prisoners. "If you so much as turn around," Saxon whispered into Jack's ear. "The Toclafane will kill you in a heartbeat." With that, he positioned himself behind Jack, leaning around him only long enough to force the revolver into his hand. "If you despise them so much," Saxon said, backing away from the captain. "Pick one to kill."

"Jack," the Doctor said warningly, but as he was sitting behind the captain, Jack couldn't turn to acknowledge him. The floating spheres, the Toclafane, crisscrossed around his head, their movements swift and jagged, cold and erratic. Some had thin blades sticking out of them and if Jack didn't do as Saxon commanded him, Ianto had no doubt they would attack.

"What are you waiting for?" Saxon asked gleefully as Jack studied each of the prisoners, weighing his options.

"You just handed me a weapon," Jack reminded him. "And I've got a lot to think about, so try being patient. First of all, I can't just shoot someone in front of the Doctor, and even if I could, I wouldn't waste a bullet on any of them without determining whether or not I could ricochet one off the walls to hit you in the face."

"Jack," the Doctor said again, this time urgently and fearfully. "Don't do it."

"Don't listen to him, captain," Saxon said, slipping behind the Doctor's wheelchair and maneuvering him closer to the prisoners. "Doctor's orders… they're literally things of the past. But should you decide to prove yourself faithful to him, I won't be as generous. You can forget those few days of respite. I'll have you killed while I entertain your team elsewhere. Either way, I can't let them live. You can die along with them or spare yourself the agony while having the pleasure of terminating one yourself. What's it going to be?"

"Jack, don't," the Doctor insisted. "It's a trap. He's trying to trap you."

But Jack wasn't listening. Silent, swift, and severe, he cocked the gun and aimed it point blank at Ianto.

Saxon raised a hand and the Toclafane descended like a torrent. Jack barely had time to look up before they slaughtered him.

The hologram abruptly ended and for a moment they were all gathered back in the hub. Ianto could barely see straight; Jack had just tried to kill him! Everyone in the room, even the Time Agents, looked shaken aside from Jonas Hahn, who looked euphoric. Jack, who was still on his knees at the mercy of the interrogation glove, had tears in his eyes.

Suddenly, the hologram restarted as the captain came back to life. He was sitting in a different chair with his wrists cuffed to the armrests. Ianto, Gwen, Owen, and Tosh were all in similar predicaments on the chairs directly across from him, duct tape still covering their mouths. "What the hell was that for?" Jack demanded quickly scanning the room for the Doctor who sat slumping miserably at the head of the table.

"You weren't quick enough," Saxon explained, leaning over Jack's shoulder. "And I wasn't born yesterday." He walked around the table to pace in front of Jack, behind the four other prisoners. "Ianto Jones," he eventually said, stopping behind the Welshman to face Jack while ominously running a hand through Ianto's hair. "Not just a member of your team, but previously employed by Torchwood One." Saxon glanced sideways at the Doctor. "He was present during the Battle of Canary Wharf." The Doctor made no response so Saxon returned his attention to Jack. "You know, I read up on a certain Dr. Tanizaki. Japanese expert on cybernetics." Jack clenched his jaw while Ianto trembled, reactions that encouraged Saxon. "Your dear Toshiko tried covering up the whole fiasco, but you know me. I do love a puzzle and I'm so good with computers. I was able to dig up certain information that honestly surprised me, Jack. Dr. Tanizaki was hired by Mr. Jones regarding a Cyberman. Imagine, one of the Cybermen survived and Mr. Jones was studying it, protecting it. Unfortunately, Dr. Tanizaki was never heard from again. He never made it out of Cardiff. In fact, I do believe his body rests in Torchwood's morgue, which leads me to the irrefutable conclusion Ianto's little science project got out of control and the Cyberman nearly destroyed everything. How irresponsible."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Jack said as calmly as he could. Meanwhile, Ianto could feel each of the Time Agents watching him curiously. For a moment he thought he was going to vomit.

"But I do know you had every right to terminate him for a mistake on that scale," Saxon assured the captain. "Back at Torchwood One, Yvonne Hartman would have seen to his execution. Now, I can understand why someone like the Doctor would spare Ianto's life, but it seems peculiar for a man who allegedly despises Torchwood, especially when that man is you, Jack. I've seen your file. I know how you respond to most threats. But you gave Ianto a second chance. You showed him compassion. And just ten minutes ago you tried giving him a quick and painless death, I assume to spare him from an afternoon with me. You know, that actually hurts my feelings. Am I such a terrible host that death is preferable?"

"I'm going to kill you," Jack said icily. Ianto had never seen such hatred on the captain's face before; even when they had opened the rift, releasing Abaddon, Jack had not been this angry.

"You see!" Saxon clapped his hands and pointed a finger at Jack. "That's more like it! That right there, Doctor, is who your companion really is. A killer. And here I thought you preferred sweet little innocent creatures. This one thirsts for blood." He looked back at Jack triumphantly, maliciously. "Now then, captain. Should I still be embarrassed? Is it still ridiculous of me to expect you to beg? And please don't lie to me. I think it's safe to assume you love them a hell of a lot more than you're willing to admit."

"Master, please, I'm begging you, leave them alone!"

For a moment, everything was silent. The plea had not come from Jack, but from the Doctor.

Slowly Saxon turned his head to regard the old man. There was a craving in his eyes, a craving that deeply unsettled Ianto. "Again, Doctor. Say it again."

"Master," the Doctor whispered heartbrokenly. "I'm begging you, please stop this."

Saxon sighed blissfully before nodding at the guards. "Take them away. Keep them separated. We'll continue this later." He smiled at Jack. "Good thing the Doctor knows when to stop. Now we've got something to look forward to." Jack glared up at him furiously while the guards cuffed his friends' wrists behind their backs and dragged them out of the room. Owen and Gwen struggled the whole way while Ianto glanced over his shoulder, looking back at Jack desperately.

Suddenly the hologram dissipated once again and they found themselves back in the hub. The Time Agents were all screaming, crumbling to the floor, covering their ears in visible pain. Ianto hopped away from James Hall while Jack scrambled to his feet, glancing around at the intruders with a wild look in his eyes. "Toshiko! How much time have we got?"

"Not long," Tosh replied, dropping a small but bulky device on her desk. "I haven't completed the upgrade and its power is draining rapidly. We have to disarm them and get them to the vaults now!" She had a lock pick and immediately set to work on Ianto's cuffs, freeing him in a matter of seconds while Jack, Gwen, and Owen started neutralizing the Time Agents.

"What's happening to them?" Gwen demanded as she went about the unpleasant task, searching their writhing bodies for concealed weapons.

"It's a sonic modulator," Tosh quickly explained. "It emits harmful sonic waves meant to incapacitate our enemies. I've been working on it since I first joined Torchwood." She glanced over at Jack who was cuffing Hahn's wrists behind his back. "I'm sorry it took so long. I had to wait until they were too distracted by the hologram to notice what I was doing. And then I had to attune it to the background radiation you described and believe me those calibrations weren't easy to make."

"You knew about this?" Gwen's tone reverberated with disapproval as she glared at the captain.

"You bet I did," Jack replied unfazed. "I e-mailed her a list of instructions the moment I spotted the Time Agents on the CCTV. It's hard enough dealing with just one of the bastards. You remember what John was like last time he popped in for a visit. Now we've got four more plus General Hahn. I didn't have time to think of a better strategy, Gwen, this was the only way to take them down all at once." He held up his wrists, both of which were bare. He wasn't wearing his characteristic leather wrist strap. "The Time Agent vortex manipulators generate harmless radiation. Tosh was able to attune the modulator to that radiation, concentrating the sonic waves around each of the Agents, but not any of us. We're safe. But like Tosh said, we need to get them down to the vaults before the modulator runs out of power."

**Torchwood**

It didn't take the team long to detain the intruders. As the six of them sat in their individual cells recovering from Tosh's assault, Jack stood watching them stoically. He was absolutely unreadable and his friends felt the need to keep their distance, though they were disinclined to leave him completely alone.

Eventually Jonas Hahn looked up at the captain with a cheerless smile. "That was positively brutal of you, Jack. Now more than ever I'm convinced you belong with us."

"No," Jack replied callously. "If I belonged with you, the 'menace' with the binary vascular system responsible for devastating the Agency and the Factories would have put a stop to Torchwood as well. But he hasn't yet. And do you know what really distinguishes me from you? I actually hope and trust him to stop me should I ever cross the line you crossed when you angered him. I'm not a Time Agent anymore, general. And the only way I would ever participate in your war is if that 'menace' asked me to fight on his side. Why don't you mull over that for awhile?" Pivoting, Jack started out of the vaults.

"What are you going to do with us?" Hahn shouted after him.

"No idea," Jack shouted back. Striding quickly, he climbed back to the hub with Ianto, Gwen, Owen, and Tosh on his heels.

"Jack, what was that?" Gwen asked as soon as they were out of the Time Agents' hearing ranges. "That memory with Saxon? What happened? And why can't we remember it?"

"And was that really the Doctor you're always yammering about?" Owen tactlessly inquired. "Seemed a bit old for you, mate." Tosh elbowed him in the ribs. Hard.

Jack sighed, turning back to face them reluctantly. He was trying to hide it, but Ianto could still distinguish the pain, anger, and despair in his expression. Saxon had scarred him and the memories of his imprisonment were haunting him mercilessly. "When I left you, when I abandoned you to find my Doctor, I didn't expect to be gone for so long. It wasn't my choice and not a day went by that I didn't wish I was back here with the four of you. I've lived so many different lives I barely knew who I was, but that was when I figured it out. I'm meant to be here in Cardiff with the people I love defending Earth on behalf of the Doctor."

"But what happened?" Gwen asked softly. "What did Saxon do? We were there, Jack, we have a right to know."

"It never happened," Jack said with a shrug. "The whole thing was a paradox and when the Doctor, Martha, and I finally repaired the damage, when we finally broke the paradox, time reverted back one year. The memory you just saw was part of one day out of three hundred and sixty five days that we stopped from ever happening. The only people who remember it are the few of us who were onboard the _Valiant_ when time turned back."

"So then… we didn't escape?" Owen asked with a distressed frown. "You didn't retcon any of us after we cleverly saved your arse, because we didn't actually save anyone, did we? And Saxon…?" A shadow darkened Jack's features and they all knew exactly what it meant.

"It's not something I want to discuss," he said heading to his office. He shut the door and that was the end of the conversation.

**Torchwood**

The Torchwood team spent the rest of the day in silence, having each suffered a considerable shock. Since none of them knew how to deal with the revelation, Gwen eventually fled home to her fiancé while Owen ran out to the nearest bar. Tosh stayed longer than either of them, but she didn't work. Instead she stared down vacantly at the sonic modulator, lost in her own memories. When midnight came around, Ianto got her a cab and sent her home, urging her to get some sleep.

"It's my fault," he said after she left and he was seemingly alone in the hub. But he wasn't alone. Jack had emerged from his office and stood watching from the shadows. "I never should have brought them down here. I could have protected you and I didn't."

"There were six of them, Yan," Jack gently reminded him. "You couldn't have fought them and since I know every form of coercion in the Agency's manual, I'm glad you didn't try. They wouldn't have hesitated to carry out whatever threats they made against you if you resisted."

Ianto nodded bleakly, turning towards his captain. "Is it really over, Jack? The thing with Saxon… He's not going to come back, is he? He's not going to seek vengeance or try again? He's really dead?"

"He's really dead," Jack promised. "And there's no one else in the universe who could even attempt to accomplish the things he did, not even General Hahn. It won't happen again."

"You really meant to kill me, didn't you?"

"I thought I could spare you," Jack admitted. "Quick and painless. One blessing I never received. But I was too slow. The Toclafane stopped me and after that… Saxon figured it out. I wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice my life in exchange for yours, any of yours, that's a given, but you, Ianto… you're the last person in the entire universe I wanted to see him hurt and he knew that. He used it against me."

"I'm so sorry," Ianto said, trembling.

"What's done is done. Fortunately none of you had to live through it and since I've got the best Doctor anyone could ever want, I'm making a full recovery. No regrets."

"Is there anything I can do?" Ianto asked in a feeble attempt to make up for the past. All those times he had resented Jack for leaving him, for keeping secrets, for pushing him away… he never dreamt it was because of this. They had all thought Jack abandoned them and he suffered their grudges without complaint just to spare them from the truth of his absence. It brought tears to Ianto's eyes.

"Well," Jack said after a moment's deliberation. "There is one thing you can do that my Doctor would never even consider doing, at least not with me."

"Really?" Ianto asked, pleasantly surprised. The Doctor sounded so perfect in every respect it was hard to imagine anything he could do to compete with the fellow. "Name it."

Jack smiled, a look of tranquility finally crossing his face. "Would you dance with me?" he asked, holding out a hand. Ianto's heart fluttered and within seconds they were in each other's arms.

**Torchwood**

**A/N: **Extremely long oneshot, so thanks for reading. Sorry, I couldn't resist throwing in a little smidgen of fluff at the end just to make up for everything else. Please review; I'm looking forward to your comments.


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